Squid
by chocolattewizard
Summary: The war is over, and Voldemort is gone. But the Giant Squid is still haunted by things that have happened in the past. When his old enemy returns to Hogwarts, will Squid do what is right and finally get his happy ending, or destroy his world forever?


The giant squid had lived in the lake for as long as anyone could remember. He was a part of Hogwarts life, and played his own part in the world. He was famous for rescuing first years, when they fell into the water, on their way to the magnificent castle.

But the Giant Squid was aging, and feared that should he die, his species would never swim through the murky waters of the Lake again, leaving the legend of himself behind. It was sad for him to think about, as it brought back memories of the fateful day when his family were killed. Squid wiped a tear from his slimy face with a tentacle, and then swam up to the surface.

If only Professor Dumbledore were still alive! He would know how to help him! That was upsetting to remember too, that poor Albus was dead. His family had considered the late Headmaster part of their shoal, an honour so rare that no human, Wizard or Muggle, had ever been fortunate enough to receive. Squid could feel tears coming back to his eyes, so began to swim as hard as he possibly could in the direction of the school.

If the merfolk could see him now, in such a state! They already laughed at him, with his great rubbery limbs and gaping mouth, telling him how ugly and pitiful he looked. Why did he have to be subject to their jibes when he had already lost his family, was lonely beyond all comprehension and was now facing extinction? His mother had told him, once, that he was beautiful, and would be the subject of envy to many he-squids. He winced. The horrible memory was coming back to him. Squid didn't want to see it, but let it come to his mind anyway . . .

_Squid was playing in the seaweed with Mari, his best friend who he had known forever, and would for all eternity. It was a game of tag, and Squid was It. They chased each other around the many kelp-lined boulders and through schools of fish, always coming back to the seaweed and upsetting the Grindylows. Squid was just about to tag Mari with his tentacles when a horrible screech reached their ears. To any other creature, it would have just been the sound of bubbles, but to a squid, it was the sound of their kind screaming. Of them screaming in pain._

_With a quick look at each other, Mari and Squid raced towards the noise. A terrible scene met their eyes. Their families were being hoisted out of the water, killed and then dragged away, by _wizards_. Squid recognised them at once. They were not the magical folk from the school; rather they were the fur-clad barbarians from the other academy, Durmstrang. _

_Frantically, Squid began looking for his mother. He couldn't find her and was getting distressed. Surely, they had not already killed her? Finally, he saw his mother, and swam over as fast as he could. The wizards were closing in on her, drawing their wands. One fired at Squid's mother, conjuring a red flame, unable to be destroyed by the water, from his wand. With a shriek of bubbles, Squid threw himself in front of her. She was injured, as was he. One of his tentacles had been cut clean off, but his Mother was worse. A gaping hole now stood in the lower part of her body, with red blood pouring out. Squid grabbed her, and pulled them both away from the bloody scene, past the boulders where Mari and he had been playing earlier, and kept swimming until he was miles away from the school. _

_By then, his mother had died in his tentacles, and he was left to dispose of her body. Why him? he thought, as he laid his mother's body on an unfamiliar shore. Slowly and sadly, Squid made his way back to the school. It took him weeks to get there, and by the time he did, everyone thought that the entire population of his species had been vanquished from Lake. The filthy murderers that had killed his family were gone. He was still there however, alone._

Squid shook himself from the memory, and with a start remembered what today was. The first of September. It was the only day when the Headmistress expected anything from him. Each year, on one day, he was on the anti-drowning-of-the-first-years patrol. Slapping himself on the face for forgetting, Squid picked himself up (or as well as a squid could) and began to make his way towards the place where the boats were kept. Hagrid would be waiting for him, and by the looks of the sky, so would the new students.

He smiled to himself. While his family were gone, he didn't take out his anger on anyone else; he kept it bottled up inside him and would save it until the day came when the murderers dare return to these shores. Of course, they had, a few years ago, but Professor Dumbledore had made him promise that the students, teachers and ship of the Durmstrang Academy, would remain untouched, and unharmed. Still, thought Squid, Dumbledore's gone now, so surely it doesn't count? Squid sighed, making bubbles, and continued on his way to Hagrid. One day, he thought, I will have my revenge . . .


End file.
